Girls taken to Uganda, Tanzania for ‘vacation cutting’ as Kenya cracks down on FGM – Reuters

The news article featured below is about an act called vacation cutting. This is when a girl is taken to a different country that has less strict or no anti-FGM laws to evade the laws in place. With the recent ruling in Michigan deeming the federal anti-FGM laws in the U.S. to be unconstitutional, the 23 states lacking anti-FGM laws could become FGM havens just as bordering countries are to Kenya.

NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Girls in Kenya are being taken across the border to countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia for female genital mutilation (FGM) to avoid a crackdown on the harmful traditional practice at home, campaigners said on Monday.

Kenya criminalised FGM in 2011 with a minimum punishment of three years imprisonment and a U.S. $2,000 fine – spearheading efforts to curb the internationally condemned ritual with the most comprehensive anti-FGM legislation in east Africa.

But while fear of the law – coupled with increased awareness of the harmful effects of FGM – has helped reduce prevalence rates, say campaigners, the deep-rooted practice persists as communities discover new ways to evade prosecution.

Sign and share this petition to help end child marriage in the United States. Call on Congress to take swift action in closing the immigration visa loophole that incentives child marriage in exchange for citizenship rights. chng.it/rxyvgwcB66

"The USCIS changes will not stop child marriage — age limits must be set by Congress and states — but officials hope it will help detect instances in which a spouse is in the marriage against her will." theahafoundation.org/new-guid…